[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 18912-18913]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                BURUNDI

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise to call for urgent action to 
prevent widespread violence and mass atrocities in Burundi. Let us not 
allow Burundi to become the next Rwanda or Darfur. We are at a critical 
juncture. I call upon the Burundian Government and opposition to 
respect the spirit of the 2000 Arusha agreement and immediately stop 
all violence, disarm militias, including youth militia aligned with the 
government, and urge all legitimate stakeholders to agree to 
participate in an inclusive dialogue to determine a path forward for 
their country.
  As my colleagues may know, the country has been in turmoil since 
April, when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third 
term. His decision, which many feel violated the spirit of the very 
agreement that ended the Burundi 12-year civil war and the Burundian 
Constitution itself, has led to widespread violence. An attempted coup 
in May revealed an alarming split in the militia's military ranks, and 
I came to the floor in June to discuss my concern that the situation 
could escalate. Unfortunately, I was correct. It has. At that time, 
90,000 people had fled the country, and now there are over 200,000 
refugees. In June, an estimated 21 people had died during the protest. 
The U.N. now estimates that nearly 250 people have been killed since 
April, some

[[Page 18913]]

at the hands of the security forces and others in a series of tit-for-
tat targeted assassinations and killings.
  The violence has taken on troubling overtones. Bodies of those who 
have been clearly victims of execution-style killings are found daily 
in the streets of Bujumbura, Burundi's capital. The families of 
political opponents are now being targeted and killed. Government 
officials have been murdered.
  In November, Burundian officials engaged in alarming rhetoric 
reminiscent of language used to incite and carry out the genocide in 
Rwanda. The government was forced to issue a letter that claimed that 
the statements made by the President and the president of the senate 
were not intended to foment such actions. Intended or not, such 
comments are deeply disturbing.
  The international community has engaged, but I fear our efforts may 
not be enough. I was very pleased to see the African Union Peace and 
the Security Council's October 17 communique, which urged dialogue, 
called for deployment of additional human rights monitors, and 
threatened targeted sanctions against those who contribute to the 
escalation of violence and act as spoilers to a political solution. It 
sent a strong message to all parties that continued violence will not 
be tolerated and that an inclusive dialogue--one that includes the 
Burundian opposition that has taken refuge outside the country--is the 
only way to restore stability. The United Nations Security Council took 
a much needed step by approving a resolution in late November. The 
European Union has been forward leaning, imposing sanctions on 
government officials and requesting a dialogue with the government to 
discuss the current situation under the provisions of the Cotonou 
Agreement related to democracy and human rights.
  The United States has been actively engaged in preventive action and 
diplomacy for some time. On November 23, President Obama issued an 
Executive order sanctioning four individuals whose actions have 
threatened the peace and security of Burundi. He also announced that as 
of January, Burundi will no longer be eligible for preferential trade 
benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Our Special 
Envoy for the Great Lakes, Tom Perriello, has been in the region 
numerous times. High-ranking officials, including our United Nations 
Ambassador and the Secretary of State have raised Burundi with our 
international partners on numerous occasions. Ambassador Power has 
traveled there herself, and I applaud the administration's consistent 
attention to the concerns of Burundi.
  However, the violence continues. We must redouble our efforts to 
support a political solution to this current crisis. Let me be clear. 
There is no substitute for a commitment by the Burundians themselves 
when it comes to finding a way forward. They themselves must choose the 
path of peace, but I firmly believe we, in cooperation with our 
international partners, can provide the right incentives for them to do 
that. We can take other meaningful actions in pursuit of an agreement.
  First, we must help the African Union to finalize contingency plans 
for an African-led mission to prevent widespread violence in the 
country.
  Second, I call upon the AU to convene a meeting with special envoys 
from the United Nations, African Union, United States, European Union, 
and Belgium, as well as representatives from the East African 
community, to discuss coordination among donors, the United Nations, 
the AU, and the Security Council's recommendations and to identify ways 
that the international actors can support the increased number of human 
rights monitors and military observers authorized by the AU in October.
  Third, it is imperative that we help put in place mechanisms for 
accountability for those who have engaged in extrajudicial killings 
during this period of time. Those who have committed these atrocities 
must be held accountable. The international community must be firm 
about this. We cannot allow those who perpetrate these crimes to go 
unpunished.
  The United States has made a promise to actively prevent the 
commission of mass atrocities. As the unrest continues, people are 
suffering in refugee camps or living in fear in their homes, afraid to 
go out. Violence is on the rise, the economy is in a downward spiral, 
and civil space is closed. Every day that goes by without a civil 
solution the probability of atrocities increases. Preventing widespread 
violence and mass atrocities is everyone's business. Diplomatic 
engagement to prevent political violence that has the potential to 
become ethnically based killing is exactly what we and the rest of the 
international community must focus on addressing.
  I submit to you that acting to prevent this from happening is all of 
our collective business, and I urge continued action to do so.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Flake). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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